Let’s Look Back at 2015

It’s such a fitting day to look back at the year 2015, mostly because WordPress informed me that today is my 1 year anniversary with WordPress! WHOOOO GO ME! I have really enjoyed blogging this year, and am constantly learning new things each and every day. So why not look back at the past year. So here are some of my highlights from the past year….

BLOGGING:

I feel like this is the year that I really started to hit my stride blogging wise. I am not always the most consistent blogger, but I am getting a picture of what I want to do and am starting to take steps in getting towards that. I love interacting with whoever happens to be reading this blog about books, music, or life. It kind of gives me warm fuzzies to talk to anyone about these kinds of things and to make a connection with them like that. I have LOVED doing Top Ten Tuesday posts because I think we really get to talk about those topics in the bookish world (my most recent one…Top Ten Books of 2015, was probably my favorite one to do up to this point). Another post I LOVED doing, and hope to do more of, was my LATE TO THE PARTY…Alanna: Song of the Lioness post. I love talking about those books that EVERYONE seems to love that I had just recently hopped aboard the fangirl train, and I loved seeing the excitement of those that commented. And my last post that gave me ALL the warm fuzzies, tears, and general good feelings about what I was doing was a personal post..13 Memories of My Dad. Not only was it making its rounds among family members, but people that I interact with in the book community were talking too, and I just loved being able to share that and make some sort of connection with you all. That is probably one of the hardest posts I have EVER had to write. It was met with lots of tears, frustrations, and wondering if I was doing it right and giving him a post he was worthy of. I cannot thank you all enough. Thanks for all the discussions, warm fuzzies, and love this year. Cannot wait to see what 2016 will bring for me in this area of my life!

BOOKS:

I can’t even begin to tell you just how great of a reading year I have had! Seriously! A majority of my books were 4-5 stars for me on Goodreads, and if you asked me to pick my favorites I would have a HARD time listing less than 3. So I am going to pick 3 (OH MY GOSH THIS IS HARD GUYS BUT I WILL DO IT!) that I absolutely adored. Buuuuut if you wanna check out what I read this year and what I loved a lot you should just go to my Goodreads page.

PERSONAL:

Well, I got a new job…TWICE. I started out the year working in retail, got a job at a daycare in February or so and worked there until November. I learned a lot from all of these experiences, and I am so happy to be where I’m at right now. I am so grateful for each and every job opportunity I have had in the past year, and am so excited to see where my current job will take me!

I moved! Again, but this time to a place that I like SO much more than where I was at. I am now in a town that feels a little bit smaller, which I love. It’s a gorgeous apartment that is 2 blocks from the lake and a really nice park. We can walk to the Farmer’s Market and have friends that live close by.I think this particular move has been good for us (even though we moved in February on the COLDEST day of the year! I’m talking like wind chills waaaaaaay below zero and every muscle in my body screaming at me!).

I participated in #OTSPSecretSister TWICE! And each time it has been the biggest blessing! I was able to connect with people who blog about books and with people who share a lot of my interests. Some of my best friends are from all over the country now, which is the coolest thing. I love that this project is all about sending others cheer and thinking of them and lifting them up. I so needed this at the beginning of the year. I was really depressed and struggling but this particular project really helped me dig out of that hole. It’s so fun to be a part of!

WEDDINGS! We went to 4 weddings this year. Each and every one was such a fun and unique experience that was so very much the particular couple that we were celebrating. One wedding in particular ended up being a bit of a mini vacation since we had to go all the way up to the Mississippi Headwaters, which was awesome. I haven’t been there since I was a kid. Very fun!

SPORT! I got to see my absolute favorite baseball team play, which is definitely tricky to do. I am a MN sports fan living in WI, so I love being able to have the opportunity to go see my favorite teams play when I can. Thankfully the Twins had a series in Milwaukee and I was able to go with some friends. This is even more special to me now since one of my favorite baseball players announced his retirement at the end of the season. It was so fun to go and watch them play! Besides that I have been really into watching the Vikings and paying attention to as much hockey as I can. Gotta get my MN fix while living in WI!

Other than that my year hasn’t been too terribly exciting, which is probably an OK thing. I am trying, that’s the biggest thing I think for me. 2014 I was not trying. I was reading to pack my bags and move back home. I was tired of feeling homesick and tired of not finding anything to do with my life that made me feel good, important, or even just valued in the slightest bit. I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself and trying to dig myself out of a hole that I think I was only digging deeper. 2015 was the year that I decided to start trying. Has it been easy? NO! In fact, there were times that I felt as I did in 2014. Helpless, hopeless, so incredibly alone. But now that I have the opportunity to look back I realize that I have come SO. INCREDIBLY. FAR. I have made some friends, I have found a job that I feel confident in, I am finally feeling comfortable as ME! I still have a long way to go, but I have a good feeling about 2016!